Cereal dehydration plant



Feb. 23,1937. ZJHLER 2,071,448

Y CEREAL DEHYDRAYTION PLANT Filed Nov. 4, 1935 a sheets-sheet} Feb. 23,1937. ZIHLER' CEREAL DEHYDRATION PLANT I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. '4,193:5

Feb. 23, 1937. L. ZIHLER [CEREAL DEHYDRATION PLANT Filed Nov. 4, 1935 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATE ATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to improvements in cereal dehydration processesand particularly to the dehydration of green malt and consists of meansfor returning the heated air used in the dehydration process back to themixing chamber a plurality of times through a stack auxiliary to thedrying kiln.

An object of the invention is to improve the character and aromaticproperties of the cereal in the kiln by reheating air which haspreviously traversed the layers of cereal lying upon the drying floorsand is saturated with the kiln flavor.

A further object of. the invention is to effect a saving in fuel byutilizing air which has previously passed through the cereal, thusavoiding the continual introduction of fresh cold air and its constantexpulsion through the discharge cowl at the top of the kiln.

A further object of the invention is to provide selective suction to anyof a plurality of return charged and the amount of air returned throughany or all of the stacks by means of an instrument board preferablysituated adjacent to the furnaces.

With the above more important objects in view and minor objects whichwill appear as the specification proceeds, the invention consistsessentially in the method and arrangement hereinafter more particularlydescribed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a sectional elevation of a drying kiln showing a return airstack, an associated passage to the furnace, the furnace, the dryingfloors, the fan room, the discharge cowl and return conduit on the roof.

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevation taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 55 of. Figure 1.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the fan room taken on the line 6-45 of Figure1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the louvres used for regulating theintake of cold air to the furnaces.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several figures.

Each of the furnaces l is situated between heating and air intakechambers 2 which receive cold air through the louvres 3. The air isimpelled upwardly by means of the fans 4 and becomes thoroughly mixedwith the hot gases in the mixing chamber 5. The air then continuesupwardly between the fans percolating through the floors 6 and 1 uponwhich the cereal is spread for the process of drying. The air is thensucked into the fans 4 and from thence by means of the conduits 8 toescape through the cowls 9 or proceed to be returned through externalreturn conduits ii]. Concrete stacks H, connected to the exteriorconduits It, convey the air downwardly to ground level and thencethrough the return air passage 92 and then into the central and heatingchambers 2.

It will be noticed that these central air intake and heating chamberswith which the return air passages connect are larger than those on theouter sides of the furnace and the means for mixing fresh air admittedthrough the louvres with the hot gases from the furnace is efficientlyaccomplished by means of the hood is with which each furnace issupplied.

In the process of drying cereals and most especially in the drying ofmalt to which this invention particularly applies, the regulation oftemperature, humidity and volume of air are of. supreme importance andto this end, a shaft It extends down the side of each stack and by meansof a lever arm situated adjacent the junction .of the external returnconduit and the stack, connects to a second shaft i4 and to a valve isdisposed at the junction of the discharge cowl 9 and the return conduitit. This valve and associated mechanism is manually operable from thelever it at the base of the stack to regulate the discharge or return ofair which has travelled upwardly within the kiln. A second valve I1 isalso operable from an adjacent location to the valve IE to regulate thedischarge of air from the central fan to either of the two stacks or toeither of the discharge cowls.

It should be noted here that I do not wish to limit myself to two stacksor three fans as illustrated in the drawings which accompany thisspecification, this number being merely shown for convenience andsimplicity.

The space I 8, in which the levers l6 and all instruments and regulatingmechanism are contained, is a short passage extending between the wallof the stack and the wall of the kiln and all the instruments andregulating mechanism situated therein are attached to the wall of thestack.

In the case of drying malt, the green or moist freshly germinated malttravels from the germinating vats through the screw conveyors l9 and isspread over the upper drying floor I by means of the discharge conduits20.

When the malt or other cereal has been partially dried on the upperfloor, it is dumped through into the drying chamber 6 which is, ofcourse, of considerably higher temperature since it is nearer thefurnaces. When the cereal on the lower floor is sufficiently dried, thefurnaces are damped down and it is dumped onto the floor of the mixingchamber 5 and thence through into the hoppers 2| which are shown inFigure 3 as extending the whole length of the kiln.

It is well known in the art of drying cereals and especially malt toconvey it in the manner described. The method of mixing fresh air withfurnace gases in a mixing chamber and conveying the air upwardly bymeans of fans to escape through a cowl in the roof of a kiln is alsowell known in the art but the method of utilizing the heated air aplurality of times is not known and has never hitherto been used for thepurpose of drying cereals.

In the process of kiln drying malt, temperature, humidity and volume ofair are, as previously mentioned, of utmost importance in order toproduce character, aroma and color. The improved method which I havedescribed constitutes a considerable advance in the art of kiln dryingcereals. The flavor which was formerly carried off into the atmosphereis by my method returned and allowed to permeate the cereal. Also,during the process of drying, certain acids and gases are formed whichhave a bleaching effect on the malt and by using a portion of thereturned air, these acids and gases are retained and fuller use is madeof them in the way of bleaching the malt and thus enabling it to acquirethe requisite color. The saving in fuel is also a very importantconsideration in my process.

I am of course aware that return air systems are in use for variouspurposes to economize in fuel but in this instance, this feature ismerely incidental to the improvements effected in color, flavor andaroma which are accomplished by this process.

I wish it understood that I do not desire to be restricted to the actualstructure described in the accompanying drawings, these being intendedas illustrative only and not to be regarded in a limiting sense and Idesire only such restrictions placed upon my invention as arespecifically expressed in the claim attached hereto.

What I claim as my invention is:

The combination with a drying kiln for malt and the like consisting of abuilding-like structure having a plurality of superposed, verticallyspaced, air pervious, drying floors, a superjacent supply chamberproviding means for precipitating material upon the subjacent floor, ablower in said supply chamber operable to draw air from said floors andan air receiving, air mixing and air heating chamber below the lowermostof said drying floors, of a cowl outlet communicating with said blowerupon the blowing side thereof, a horizontally disposed ductcommunicating with said cowl outlet, said duct also communicating with avertically disposed stack erected alongside said building-likestructure, a subterranean passageway communicating with the base of saidstack, said passageway also communicating with said air receiving, airmixing and air heating chamber and a valve located at the communicatingjunction of said cowl outlet and said duct, manually controllable from apoint adjacent said air receiving, air mixing and air heating chamber topermit the discharge of air from within said building-like structurethrough the cowl outlet into the atmosphere or circulate the samethrough said duct, down said stack, along said passageway and back intosaid air receiving, air mixing and air heating chamber.

LEON ZIHLER.

